


The Red Lady

by Msynergy



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-19
Updated: 2015-08-21
Packaged: 2018-04-15 12:11:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4606311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Msynergy/pseuds/Msynergy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thedas has never been the safest place to raise a child, but that goes double for the daughter of a dwarf and Seeker.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OrilliaOrange](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrilliaOrange/gifts).



> Something a little different from me. Inspired by the Ask!Fic shared with vehlr and Satine86.

She’d gotten up to get a glass of water, and came back to find the monster. 

It’d lunged at her, and she’d screamed, but Bear had appeared, bared teeth sinking into the creature.

Mama’s voice had come next, shouting her name, her strong hands pushing her into Papa’s arms before even more screaming started. Papa ran, covering her eyes with his shoulder as he held her close.

And then the screaming stopped, and she remembered they’d left Mama and Bear behind.

“Mama!” She cried, wriggling out of Papa’s grip before he could stop her. She’d always been fast–

“Half-Pint! Get back here!”

So fast he didn’t catch her in time to stop her from seeing the blood.

So much red.

Bear’s jaws were soaked in it as he came to her, wagging his stubby tail.

But she couldn’t see him, she only saw Mama.

Except she couldn’t be Mama. Mama was big hugs and goodnight kisses and playing with wooden swords in the backyard, smiling. This lady was painted in red, chest heaving as even more red dripped from her very real sword. And at her feet, not a monster but a man, his shiny mask gone and a hole where his heart used to be.

“Mama?”

The Red Lady turned, warm eyes gone cold as they glared at her through the red. At first they did not see her, but then she blinked hard, and she fell to her knees, sword clanging to the floor.

“My Joy–” 

The Red Lady reached out, her eyes starting to warm like Mama’s but so wide and scared.

She shook her head, refusing to step closer, and narrowly avoided Papa’s grasp as she spun and bolted towards and out the door, Bear right behind her. She heard what sounded like Mama crying out for her, but that couldn’t be true. Mama wasn’t there, and so she kept running, straight for her secret place.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Don’t own them, never will. Just playing in the sandbox.

She called it her Fort, and it was just past their backyard. Papa had dug it out and built the secret door himself; big enough for her and Bear, but too small for anyone else.

She quickly opened the little covered hatch and pushed Bear inside, scrambling in after him as fast as she could.

He still had a lot of blood on his mouth, and though Papa had put carpets down on the ground she scooped up some dirt from the edges to clump to his face. Much better than all that red.

Bear liked dirt, which helped; he was always rolling around in it and making Mama–

Her tears felt bigger than usual, and she buried her face in Bear’s fur, feeling him shuffle closer as the drops fell.

They stayed that way for a while, until all her tears were gone and all she felt was hollow and tired. Her eyelids were refusing to stay open when she heard her name again.

“Half-Pint?”

But this time she answered.

“Papa?”

She heard his boots by the hatch, and watched it open so she could see his face lit by a lantern and the night sky.

“It’s chilly out here, Half-Pint, how about you come back inside?” He bent over, hand out, but she shook her head, clinging closer to Bear. Bear whined; he didn’t like seeing her sad, but sat still and didn’t growl at Papa. She’d taught him first thing, never growl at Papa or–

“No. I’m not going.”

“Aw, c’mon. If you don’t go in, then I’ll have to stay out here with you. You gonna let your poor Papa freeze?”

She seriously considered it, and Papa clapped his hand to his chest.

“My own daughter! Leaving me out in the cold! How could she?!”

She giggled before she could stop it. Papa was always so funny.

“Now that’s the daughter I remember. Can you be brave like I remember too and come out?”

She glanced back at the outline of their house. All that red– He wanted to go back there– Back to her–

“But what about the Red Lady?” she whispered, staring at him as his smile left.

“Oh, Half-Pint, you don’t mean–”

She snuggled closer to Bear, and Papa sighed, rubbing at his chin as he looked to the house then back to her.

“The red’s all gone, sweetheart, Papa made sure of it. Please, come out?”

He reached out again, but she bit her lip, considering.

Papa didn’t lie to her. If he said the red was gone, it was gone. And it was getting cold even next to Bear.

“Alright,” she answered finally, letting Papa help her out then carry her towards the house, Bear trailing behind.

The closer they got, the tight her grip on Papa got, but Papa kissed her forehead and held her closer as he opened the door and they walked through. 

Hiding her face in his shoulder, she took a quick peek at where she remembered most of the red and the monster man. They were both gone; only a dark, damp stain on the floor was left. Papa had kept his promise.

“My Joy?”

She froze. It was Mama’s voice, but she couldn’t trust it. The Red Lady had her voice too. She quickly hid in Papa’s shoulder again, refusing to look up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Don’t own them, never will. Just playing in the sandbox.
> 
> This is it for now folks! But I left things open in case the muse decides to show up again. Thanks for reading!

“Hey now, Half-Pint, I promised remember? No more red, and that includes the Lady. Only other person here is your Mama. She’s right over there, see?”

Papa sounded so sure, and she wanted to believe him so bad. Swallowing hard she looked up again, slower this time. The red was gone, and she did look like Mama, but she also looked nervous and scared too. Mama was never those things. There was only one way to be sure–

“Mama?”

Warmth, so much warmth in those eyes, as if cold could never touch them. Those eyes could only belong to–

“Mama!” she cried, reaching out, feeling two familiar arms scoop her up in a rush, clinging to Mama’s neck as she was held even closer.

She burrowed her face against Mama’s neck and chest, and felt the big tears well up again as soft fingers ran through her hair. She felt tears that weren’t hers cling to her crown braid, however, and pulled away, frowning at what she saw.

“Why are you crying, Mama?”

She wiped away the tears as best as she could, but they just kept coming, and made her own start up again at the sight. Mama never cried, Mama wasn’t supposed to cry.

“Did I do something wrong?” she sniffed.

“No, no, my Joy,” Mama shook her head, pressing a kiss to her cheek, “I did something wrong.”

“Seeker, we talked about this,” Papa stepped closer, hugging them both, “C’mon, it’s late yet, and we’re all tired. You, Half-Pint, are staying with us tonight.”

Mama’s arms tightened, but she nodded and they followed Papa to their room, Bear close behind them.

Their floor had no stains, no red, and she happily lay down when Papa pulled away the blankets and Mama placed her in the middle. In seconds Mama was tucked in too, and she turned on her side to snuggle as close as possible, sighing when Mama kissed her head and started to rub slow circles on her back.

“Mama, please don’t let the Red Lady come back.”  
  
Her hand stopped making circles, and she looked up to see Mama looking at something far away.  
  
“Mama can’t make that promise, Half-Pint,” Papa lay down too, covering them all with the blanket. Bear whined, and Mama and Papa looked at each other before Papa patted the end of the bed, and Bear joined them.   
  
“But why not? She’s scary,” she argued, scooting closer to Mama as Bear lay down.  
  
“She’s a part of me, my Joy,” Mama joined in, moving slightly to meet her eyes.  
  
“She’s a part of me like your laugh is a part of you. But she only comes out when I need her. I didn’t want you to meet her like this, and I’m so sorry she-I scared you.”  
  
The Red Lady was part of Mama? They were nothing alike! Yet Mama was right there in front of her, just the same as the Red Lady had been.  
  
“Then why is she so scary?”  
  
“She needs to be to protect what I love most,” Mama reached to tuck a lock of black hair behind her ear, “Bear loves you and shows you by protecting you. The Red Lady helps me do the same.”  
  
She couldn’t say she was happy with how the Red Lady had shown up, but the monster man had been bad, and he was gone thanks to the Lady.  
  
“Then tell her thanks for me. But I still love you more.”  
  
Big tears shone in Mama’s eyes again, but she smiled too, and pressed a kiss to her nose before nodding at Papa to put out the lantern. She felt Bear move the bed as he stretched out, and got comfortable herself as Papa shuffled closer so she was cuddled between him and Mama. She fell asleep that way, Mama’s arm around her and Papa’s around them both.

She would ask about the monster-man later. 

_Fin_


End file.
